Posted on 09/06/2002 8:17:16 AM PDT by BADJOE
History teaches some very good lessons. They are hard to learn but our forefathers did a great job.
From the beginning of time man has overthrown one form of centralized government only to re-establish another one in its place. Our forefathers understood this far better than anyone ever had. They said governments are the eternal enemy of free men. They said that in order for man to remain free it would take a bloody revolution every other generation, unless you bound down (bastard) government with the chains of the constitution.
On another site this week a poster asked if anyone else hated government as much as he did. I replied to him
"Hell !! I thought you were not a good American if you didn't love our country and hate our government.
At least that is how I have always felt about it"
I think our forefathers had the same attitude that I have now. And I think it is inherent in the average Americans attitude to distrust and have disdain for any government, including ours. One of the hardest conclusions I had to arrive at as a young man, after having been a product of the public school system, was that our government was not on our side. As James Forrestahl, former secretary of the Navy, who suffered a mysterious death, once said about our State Department's foreign policy, " Stupidity is never a mark of consistancy. If they were merely stupid, they would occasionally make a mistake in our favor".
Newt Gringrich put it in a humourous manner when talking about the attitude of Europeans. He related the following story. If you go to Europe and drive on the Autobahn, you feel pretty good cruising down the highway at 100 mph when some some German passes you doing 140 mph. Now he said if the Bundestag passed the 55mph speed limit law, every German would dutifully obey that law, untill the next election. They would vote the 55 mph crowd out of office and the no speed limit crowd in. In America Newt said "A speed limit sign is a benchmark of opportunity.
It is obvious that Yankees and Euros have entirely different attitudes about government's edicts. There are darn few Americans who do not break the speed limit laws everyday.
Now we come to the Free Republic. Once a free wheeling, joyful site for news and discussion of politics, economics, philosophy, ethics and morals. I could not understand the transformation that has taken place in the last six months. Camaraderie, the sense of family, and cooperation seems to have disappeared. Are the Freepers exhibiting the same disdain for the new FR as Americans have for our government?
What do I win?! Something to go with my Vote-A-Matic, perhaps?!
FReegards...MUD
I don't see a thread like this posted from Jim, do you?
Perhaps, if this is he true belief
"Hell !! I thought you were not a good American if you didn't love our country and hate our government. At least that is how I have always felt about it"
it's no wonder Joe's not happy here.
For whatever reason, Joe feels compelled to deliver these edicts to us on a weekly basis, like it's a matter of life and death to this forum.
Wow! Good timing!
Free trip to Richmond with free subway passes.
Amen!!
Well, that was the most fun I've had on FR for a long time. :o)
Yes...but I already declared myself the winner...MUD
Sorry if I sounded snippy .. it's just that I have seen some folks blow this way out ..
I suspect you (like so many others) may be mistaking my confidence in Truth (both the universal sort, such as "every human life begins at conception" or the factual sort, such as "abortion is a GOP policy") for an insipid and somehow aggrandizing Self-confidence which I do not and probably never will have. Painfully shy most of my life, actually.
(Besides, OPH can fill you in on my lousy ability to be self-serving and make something of myself. Doesn't add up I'd be holding myself out as some be-all, end-all answer for others. =)
I can tell you right now that this Grima chick and I little, if anything, in common ... despite your alacrity with numerology I've duly noted.
I do try to assist any and all when asked but -- in principle and as a rule -- I prefer to see folks help themselves and, above all, place their faith in God not men ... much less magic women who can "do it all".
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